Maine's nickname – “Vacationland” – is well earned. Each year, millions of visitors are drawn to the State's rocky coast, pristine lakes, peaceful forests, and rugged mountains.

But Maine has gained another great reputation – as a vibrant place to do business. Maine has become a leading center for cutting-edge industries, including advanced technology, financial services, biotechnology, and high-tech manufacturing. Many of the world's most-respected companies – including National Semiconductor, Fairchild Semiconductor, General Dynamics, MBNA America, Pratt & Whitney, The Jackson Laboratory, L.L. Bean, and UnumProvident – are finding great success in our great State.

Why is that? It could be our exceptional quality of life or Maine's boundless beauty. Maybe it's because of our dedicated and dependable labor force or the State's cutting-edge telecommunications network. Perhaps it's Maine's customized workforce training programs or multitude of other nurturing business assistance programs.

Why Maine? The real question is: Why do business anywhere else?